Businesses were trying to stand out in early days of the internet's existence by making their marketing and advertising stand out.
Tripod was a “early to scene” web hoster that became a popular haven for webmasters as well as business owners. It allows companies to design their homepages and to sponsor ads across multiple sites.
A car company advertising on Tripod bought a banner ad for a page that was…decidedly NOT about cars.
Everyone was looking for the next big thing to monetize the internet. Yet, in that moment of pure dread, Tripod's designers created the annoying window we all know today:
The popup ad.
Let's now fast-forward to today and the internet that we all know.
Popup-stoppers and ad blockers are practically ingrained into our browsers' DNA.
Popup ads are a powerful advertising tool for publishers and marketers. We need to overcome these obstacles and communicate key CTAs to our audience.
Popups are a great way to attract their attention, whether your goal is to increase our subscriber base, build a prestigious mailing list or establish rapport within your communities.
The requirement to have a new popup window has been dropped. Instead, you can find the flexible, unblockable lightbox-style popup ads on almost every website and blog page.
Popups of today aren't intrusive. They can be tailored to your site's style, personality, tone, voice, and can be triggered when certain events occur (e.g scrolling to the bottom of an article).
These features will make your popup feel more integrated into your website. They also make your visitors more comfortable with the popup by providing value throughout the process.
This is why we have compiled a list of top-rated premium and free popup scripts and plug-ins for almost every type of project.
jQuery Popup Ads
JQuery model popups display as an overlay on a page, often darkening it so the user's focus is on the popup message. These popups can be simple or complex and customizable.
JQuerySuper Notice ($9)
JQuery Super Notice is a fully customizable interface that combines attractive designs and sleek code.
Are you not a JQuery wizard yet? It's not a problem.
You can use the generator to create your design with icons, buttons, header graphics and more.
Facebook TrafficPop ($9)
This popup is for you if you want to grow your Facebook following or give away premium products behind “like walls”.
Many companies are well-known for encouraging customers to “like before the promotion can been viewed” or to “follow us” in order to enter sweepstakes via their website.
Facebook Traffic Pop offers similar functionality but can be customized to allow users to close the popup. This popup is one of the most flexible on Facebook. It can be delayed to show after a time period has passed.
Product Showcase (£6)
This popup, which is jQuery-based, measures only 2 KB in size and is mobile-friendly. To view or close the popup, swipe left or right. The popup can also be embedded on your page or trigger as a normal pop-over/lightbox.
YouTube/VimeoPopup ($4)
This script allows you to embed videos from YouTube and Vimeo directly into your popup.
The video popup will be displayed whenever a user clicks on an element of your webpage (which you have defined) such as a link, or an image. It is responsive to different browser sizes and devices. This makes it easy to use and very user-friendly.
WordPress Popup Ads
WordPress is a popular content management system and there are many plugins that can enhance its functionality.
Popups are a popular type of plugin. It's not hard to see why. Popup plugins are easy to customize and integrate with email marketing providers, which is why many website owners use them to grow their subscriber list.
Dreamgrow Scroll Triggered Box (Free).
Most likely, you have seen popups after reading an article. The next tool is the same. This tool is designed to grab your attention when you have received the most value from the site. It will encourage you to subscribe. This popup style has been proven to increase conversion rates in many industries.
This scroll-triggered box can also be used to sign up for the newsletter. You can use this tool to promote social media sharing, display similar products, or fill out a contact form.
You can set the box to trigger when a specified percentage of scroll is completed, at a time that feels right for your copy and design.
You can choose from pre-made templates or customize the box to suit your website's style and design.
Optionally, you can allow the box to remain hidden for a set number of days after the visitor closes it. This is because no one wants to be bombarded with the exact same message after they have declined! You can also control the position of your box.
Hustle Pro ($5 Monthly)
Hustle Pro was created by WPMUDev developers, a premium WordPress upgrader. You can:
- Expand your email list
- Increase your conversion rates
- Unlimited customizable popups, slide ins, and embeds
OptinMonster ($9-49 Monthly)
OptinMonster can be used as a multi-purpose tool with a variety of features and subscription benefits. It features a simple interface that is intuitive and customizable to create the perfect lightbox popup.
Popup Ads for Wix Editor
You should also know that the Wix standard editor allows you add lightbox popups to your Wix site. It's easy to do in 5 steps.
- Click on the “Add +” button to the left of the Editor.
- Click “Interactive”.
- Select a lightbox category.
- Drag and drop a lightbox element to your page.
- Click “Set Triggers”, and you can start setting up your lightbox.
Wix provides template popups that you can customize.
Squarespace Ads
Squarespace offers promotional popups as a premium feature to Commerce and Business plans.
Google's Policy on Interstitial Popups
You've just found the right tool for your website!
One thing you should remember is that your ads must not cover content, especially for mobile users. Google's interstitial policy ensures that website content can be accessed by all users without any barriers. Your website could be penalized if it does not follow this policy. This can reduce organic leads and negatively impact your SERP ranking.
Popups can be easily avoided on larger screens, such as desktop users or tablets.
Popup Ads FAQs [Note from Editor: Add WP Schema]
What are popup ads and how do they work?
Popups can be used to advertise on your website when your audience is most likely respond to your call for action. They are a handy marketing tool for businesses looking to increase their conversion rate through powerful offerings and attention-captivating advertisements.
How do I use popup ads?
Squarespace and Wix have built-in popup ads features for their website editors. Popup scripts or plugins can be used if your website is self-hosted.
What are some great tools for creating popup ads?
We have a great article about 7 great popup plugins and scripts. It covers some useful tools that can be used to create customizable popup ads. This suggested range can be customized to fit any budget.
Popup ads pose a danger to your health.
Google has introduced new rules that stipulate popup ads cannot cover mobile pages' content. Google can penalize sites if they don't follow these rules. This could result in a decrease in website traffic or visibility online.
Popup Ads Conclusion
Popups are best used as a tool, not as the end-all and be-all of your promotions.
Although a popup will not convert your visitors to product-crazy customers, it can be combined with other marketing initiatives like split testing, landing pages and continuous optimization to provide the best user experience.
Popups have come a long ways since the dawn of the internet.
Which is your favourite? Are you familiar with a different one? Let us know in the comments!
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By: Neil Patel
Title: 7 Great Popup Ad Scripts and Plugins – A Powerful Advertising and Marketing Tool
Sourced From: neilpatel.com/blog/best-popup-scripts-plugins/
Published Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2021 18:00:00 +0000